What would you do if you won the Lottery?

I have been asked this question a number of times by friends and family, and even asked myself on a few occasions – what would I do if I won the lottery?

Having lived on zero pay for the last 3 months (at the end of my final period of maternity leave), we have recently found our finances pretty tough. Whilst money can’t buy you happiness, it can definitely help to fund a lifestyle that can create a wealth of experiences and memories for your family.

Here’s what I would do if I won the lottery:-

• Move house – I love our home, I really do, now we have two children, we are rapidly outgrowing it. I recently wrote about my deliberations about extending or converting, but in reality, if I won the lottery we would probably move to somewhere bigger. My dream home would have an open plan kitchen with a central island and range cooker, bi-fold doors opening on to a large garden with a summer house at the bottom, or even an outside playroom for the girls. It would have four large bedrooms and bay style window seats where the girls could read books on big comfy cushions before bed. I can picture it perfectly in my mind – whether this house actually exists or not is yet to be established.
• Disneyland – I imagine most parents would say something similar – I would take the girls on an amazing holiday – if money was no object, we could fly in style first class to Florida, where I could introduce Erin to all her favourite Disney princesses, and stay in the Disney themed hotels. We would then finish off the trip with a more relaxing break of sun, sea and sand, and we could hopefully have some relaxing evenings as a couple, cocktail in hand, when the kids have gone to bed.
• Set up my own business – I have always had a dream of owning my own business, but never had the capital to invest – as the saying goes, you have to speculate to accumulate, so this would be a great first step to help make this a reality!
• Charity – I am not a materialistic person, so whilst many would go out and buy new cars and flash designer handbags, that simply isn’t me. If I won a large sum I would save a substantial amount (boring I know!) before donating to a few of my favourite charities, particularly a breast cancer charity in memory of my Mum.

As the saying goes, You have to be in it to win it. Since the lottery ticket prices increased, I haven’t played as much as I used to. I felt like I was just pouring more of the money that I didn’t have down the drain, and also hated the thought of forgetting to place my numbers on the one week they rolled in!

I recently came across Lottoland, a service which gives you the opportunity to play on the lotteries all over the world, including EuroMillions, Irish Lotto and Powerball (the US lottery which had a £1bn jackpot earlier in the year!). Unlike the traditional lottery, Lottoland works by allowing you to bet on the outcome of the lottery rather than play the game itself, opening up a variety of other ways to win. It sounds a little complicated but really it’s not – you chose your numbers, sit back and wait for the results to roll in! You can see the full range of ways to play on the Lottoland website.

So for now, I will keep dreaming, keep investing that £2-3 a week, and you never know, one day, just one day, I may get to put these dreams into fruition!

What would you do if you won the lottery?

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